Maybe, Someday
by kate-dammit-run
Summary: An alternate ending to 1x20 Crossroads. What if Drew isn't there when Walter goes over to Paige's? Will he be able to follow through on Toby's advice?


**Summary** : Alternate ending to Crossroads. Walter goes to Paige's apartment and Drew isn't there. But can Walter really follow through on Toby's advice?

* * *

 **Maybe, Someday**

He had no idea what he was doing and that was a very, very strange thing for him because Walter always, always knew what he was doing. But ever since Toby said those words to him in the garage, his body had started moving on its own. Before he could make sense of it, he was, in his car, driving towards Paige's house. The drive there was a blur. A complete blur. Walter knew that if he was acting reasonably, rationally, logically, he wouldn't be here, he would be back in the garage, elbow deep in rocket engine grease. But he wasn't. Walter wasn't acting rationally. Walter was acting... emotionally. And even though his motor skills seemed to be intact, he felt paralyzed.

He parked his car and stepped out. Looking up at her building from across the street, his brain was ringing with a hundred warning alarms, red lights every where, urging his body to turn around, get back into his car and drive back to the garage. But for some reason, his legs disobeyed and carried him across the street, into her building and up the stairs.

He was just a few steps from her front door when he stopped, closed his eyes and shook his head. "Snap out of it," he whispered to himself. He was still standing there, lost in thought, when the front door of Paige's apartment swung open and Paige stepped out. She too a half step out of the door before she saw him and stopped. "Walter?" She asked in shock.

It took Walter another moment to shake himself off and realize there's no backing down now. "Is everything ok?" She asked, "what are you doing here?"

Walter blinked once, twice, and finally remembered how to talk, "what? Yes, yes, everything's fine."

He noticed she was carrying a garbage bag and quickly moved to the side, allowing her to pass to the garbage room behind him. She gave him an appreciative smile and walked in and out swiftly.

"So? Why are you here?" She asked again.

"Oh, I, uhm... I was on my way to the UCLA labs and found myself, uhm, I found myself in the neighborhood, so I thought," Walter trailed. He knew perfectly well that Paige would see right through his lie but he said it anyway.

She stood in front of him and crossed her arms. Tilting her head to the side she smirked, "Walter, I live on the opposite side of the city. You couldn't possibly be passing by my neighborhood on your way there," she said, "that would be quite inefficient."

She smiled but he just averted his gaze, looking everywhere but straight at her. He ran his fingers nervously through his hair. And he cursed himself. Then he cursed Toby. Why did he let him trick him into doing this? This stupid, illogical, emotional nonsense?

"No, I mean..." He stumbled and took a step back towards the stairs, "I'm sorry... You must be busy with Ralph...and it's dinner time... I... shouldn't have..." He turned to leave and Paige's smile dropped off her face. It was hard with the geniuses, but always harder with Walter. She knew there was a reason behind his visit, and she knew if she pushed too hard she would just push him away more. But still, she couldn't just let him leave. Her job, after all, was to help him connect to people, and if she couldn't help her connect with her at least, then she was failing at her reached for him, just enough to graze the side of his arm and then pulled back, "Walter," she said softly, and he stopped. He froze.

"Why don't you stay over? For dinner I mean," she offered and smiled as he slowly turned around, with the familiar clueless look on his face. "I, uhm, I wouldn't want to... I wouldn't want to inconvenience you," he said.

"You wouldn't... You wouldn't inconvenience us, Walter," she spoke gently, "never."

He looked at her for a moment then nodded, a small smile creeping for the shortest moment onto his lips. She led him into the apartment and and towards the kitchen. He walked behind her into the kitchen where Ralph sat at the table, his back towards them.

"Do you think we have room for one more, sweetheart?" Paige asked and the young boy turned around. He looked at his mother and then at Walter. He turned back around and got off his chair, walked towards the cupboard and grabbed a plate and walked back to the table. He placed the plate and went back to his seat. The two adults watched as he did all that curiously then smiled and turned to each other. "I think that's a yes," Walter said and Paige nodded, a proud smile on her lips. She wiped the back of her hand against her cheek and pushed away at the tears that threatened.

She touched Walter's arm tenderly, "come on, have a seat," she said as she walked towards the stove, "I hope you like spaghetti and meatballs."

"I lo-... Spaghetti and meatballs is perfect," Walter said, "thank you."

After dinner, Walter and Ralph played a round of video games while Paige worked on her paper. A couple of hours later, Paige looked up from her book, "alright, Ralph, time for bed," she said. "Can Walter read to me?" Ralph said, a wide expectant smile on his face as he turned towards her.

"I don't know, Ralphy, he's -" "I- I'd love to," Walter interrupted her.

"It's ok, you don't have to, Walter," she said.

"No, I know I don't have to," he said with a smile, "but I'd like to," he explained, "if that's ok with you."

She looked at the two infant of her, the two geniuses as they both looked at her with wide eyes, and she smiled, "of course," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

A half hour later, Walter stepped out of Ralph's bedroom closing the door behind him. He looked for Paige and found her in the kitchen again, at the sink doing the dishes. Wordlessly, he made his way towards her, rolling his sleeves up as he worked. He silently grabbed a dish towel and starting drying the washed plates. Paige jumped back slightly. "Walter," she said, "you startled me."

"I'm sorry," he said, "I... I didn't mean to... Ralph's asleep."

"Thank you," she said, "you really didn't have to... and you _really_ don't have to do this," she said gesturing to him drying the dishes.

He turned to her and gave her a shy smile, "after the day you've had, and cooking dinner, it's the least I could do."

She gave him an appreciative smile and stepped to the side, giving him more space next to her to work.

* * *

She stood at her door, Walter standing on the other side, hands shoved in his jacket pockets as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

"Thanks... Paige," he said, "for dinner and... uhm... for letting me stay over. I hope I wasn't a... a burden."

Paige smiled, "you're welcome, Walter," she replied and watched as he gave her a small nod and said, "alright then. Good night."

He turned around and left and she watched as he took the steps back down. That was interesting, she thought, someday she will ask him the real reason why he came over. Not today, of course, not any time soon, but maybe... someday.

* * *

Sitting in his car, Walter grabbed the wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white, and he let out a heavy breath, one he didn't know he had been holding for the past few hours. _Damn you, Toby!_ he thought and sighed. He turned to look back at Paige's building one last time before he turned the ignition on. Maybe someday he will be able to understand the real reason why he drove over to her house. Maybe someday he will even tell her. Maybe... someday.

 **END**

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So... there it is. I know it is not what most people would expect from an alternate ending to that episode but I hope you guys are not that disappointed either. You see, the thing is, I am so so uncomfortable with fan scenarios where Walter is suddenly so aware of his emotions and can act upon them. Or even scenarios where Paige is so confidently aware of Walter's emotions and acts upon her understanding of them. It just doesn't work for me. I love how they are and I hope it takes a very very long time before they can actually take any step towards anything between them. I hope in the next season we start to see some break throughs for Walter in him becoming more aware of his emotions and starting to understand them but anything else is too soon for me.

Anyway, I should stop rambling. So, if you enjoyed this or if you hated it just let me know in that little box below. Thanks for reading!


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